Happy Thought for 14 December 2024

Have a Happy Thought: 

 

Sometimes, a year feels like a really long time.

Like, the fact that 2020 still hasn’t ended is just ridiculous! /s

 

But just think: Earth’s year is just over 365 days long.

A year for Halley’s Comet, meanwhile, is 75 Earth years, 5 months and 19 days. That’s just over 27,500 days!!

Here’s what it looked like in 1986:

Comet 1P/Halley as taken March 8, 1986 by W. Liller, Easter Island, part of the International Halley Watch (IHW) Large Scale Phenomena Network.

 

Just a few days ago Halley’s comet has reached its farthest point from the sun (aphelion) and started its journey back toward the sun… and therefore to the next time we’ll be able to see it (without telescopes), which won’t be until 2061.

 

Since this comet comes around so regularly, and is so visible each time, it has been noted, written about, drawn, and even been sewn into history. Because one of the times this comet was swinging by Earth, there just so happened to be a battle, and this battle was important enough to the locals that they commemorated it using fibre arts. And that fabric has been preserved for nearly 1000 years now:

Left: Scene from the 11th century Bayeux Tapestry, showing the Battle of Hastings with a comet in the sky. Right: Closeup of the comet from the Bayeux Tapestry. Credits: Anglo-Saxon Archaeology

 

Yep, that’s the Bayeux Tapestry, which has nothing to do with Bayeux, really, and isn’t even a tapestry… but that feels like topics for another day.

In the meantime, though, you can create your own panel to wish everyone a wonderful time of year, a reminder to pet the adorable dogs and cats and try not to let the birds steal your food.

Above: A scene very much not from the actual Bayeux Tapestry. But the BBQ looks yum!

 

Have a wonderful end of 2022, and beginning of 2023, and all of the holidays, gatherings, and me-time in between!